‘Ludicrous’ expectation pushes trusts to plan savings of up to 9%

NHS trusts are signing up to deliver efficiency savings of up to 9% of costs, HSJ  has found.

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn has a cost improvement programme of nearly £30m in 2024-25, equivalent to 9% of spending, which is three times higher than the amount it delivered last year.

Trusts and commissioners were last month issued with new financial targets as NHS England attempted to bring down a £3bn forecast deficit for local organisations.

A spokeswoman told HSJ the trust had already identified three-quarters of the £30m, and said “we believe that there are further efficiencies in our system, which would see us go further than the 3.1% achieved last year.”

She added: “All cost-saving initiatives go through a robust process to make sure that they will not impact patient safety or clinical care provided by the trust.”

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Source: HSJ, 1 July 2024